Mouth-gag for surgical purposes.



A. M. MoINTGSH. MOUTH GAG FOR SURGIQAL PURPOSES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 16, 190B.

Patented Nov. 3, 1908 zm-aiwmz 6 v THE NORRIS PETERS co, wasnnvamrv, n.c.

ARTHUR MARSHALL MCINTOSH, OF SYDNEY, NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA.

MOUTH-GAG FOR SURGICAL PURPDSES.

Application filed June 16, 1908.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 3, 1908.

Serial No. 488,799.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR MARSHALL MoIN'rosn, a subject of the King ofGreat Britain, residing at 157 Macquarie street, North, Sydney, in theState of New South Wales, Commonwealth of Australia, have invented newand useful Improvements in Mouth-Gags for Surgical Purposes, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention has been devised with a view to provide a simple andefiective apparatus which shall have the effect of opening the mouth ofa patient and maintaining it in an open position while operations arebeing performed in the interior of the mouth.

The invention comprises the novel features of construction andarrangement of parts hereinafter described and particularly set forth inthe appended claims.

An embodiment of the invention is illus trated in the accompanyingdrawings in which- Figure 1 is a side view of the Whole appliance, thegag jaws being closed, the hand plunger drawn out and the stop-cockopen. Fig. 2 is a plan of the same. Fig. 3 is a similar view to Fig. 1,but the hand plunger has been forced into the cylinder, the jaws areopen and the intermediate tap or cook has been closed, thus maintainingthe gag jaws in the open position.

A is the upper gag-jaw, B the lower one, and they are articulatedtogether at the hinge a. The jaws A, B, are peculiarly shaped each jawis semi-circular to admit of the introduction between them of thehydraulic cylinder C and plunger 0 The cylinder C is articulated at c tothe lower jaw B and the plunger C is articulated at c to the upper jawA, so as to permit of a compensating relative adjustment when the jawsA, B, are opened.

Beyond the semi-circular shape of the jaws A, B, each jaw is returnedback in a curve (see Fig. 2) so that the jaws may be able to pass roundthe corner of the mouth and the tooth plates D, D be inserted betweenthe teeth or, in the absence of teeth, between the gums of the patient.In the latter instance the tooth plates D, D will be padded so that theserrated edges will not hurt the gums.

Articulated to the cylinder O, by a watertight joint 6 is anothercylinder E the upper end of which constitutes a hydraulic ram, of whichE is the plunger; The plunger terminates in abuttonFwhereby the plungerE may be pushed down by the hand of the operator. In order to give apurchase the top end of the cylinder E is provided with finger pieces Fadapted to fit the first and second fingers of the hand of the operator,while the button F will lie in the palm of his hand, in a manner that iswell understood. At an intermediate point in the cylinder E is astopcock f. When the appliance is in the posi tion shown in Figs. 1 and2 the stop-cock f will be open, but when the plunger E is pushed downthe stop cock f will be closed, as in Fig. 3.

It will be remarked that the cylinder E is much longer and of lessdiameter than the cylinder C, consequently, there is a great gain inleverage, thereby rendering the appliance better adapted to the work tobe done.

In using the appliance, the tooth plates D, D are inserted between theteeth, or the gums, 0f the patient, the jaws A and B will then heagainst his cheek, the button F of the hand ram being behind his head.The operator, with his hand, will seize the hand ram in a manner that iswell understood, will push down the ram E the full distance and willthen turn ofi the cock The effect of pushing down the ram E will be thatthe jaws of the patient will be opened, and by turning off the cock fthey will be caused to remain in the opened position as long as desiredby the operator.

Having now described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is 1. The improved mouth gag for surgicalpurposes consisting of an upper and lower jaw articulated together atthe rear and. turned inwards so that their ends can enter the mouth ofthe patient, tooth plates proj ecting from the turned in ends of thejaws, and at right angles thereto, and a hydraulic plunger articulatedto one jaw while a hydraulic cylinder is articulated to the other jawand means for operating the hydraulic part of the ap liance as hereinset forth.

2. In mout 1 gags for surgical purposes, in combination, two hinged jawsadapted to lie against the check of the patient the forward ends of thejaws being adapted to enter the mouth of the patient, a hydraulic rambetween the articulated jaws a long narrow hydraulic ram articulated tothe cylinder element of the ram between the jaws and means for operatingthe plunger of the long ram as specified.

3. In mouth gags for surgical pur oses, in combination, two hinged jawst at are adapted to lie against the cheek of the patient the forwardends of the jaws being turned inwards and provided with tooth or gumplates at right angles, a hydraulic ram installed between thearticulated jaws, the lunger being articulated to one jaw while -t ecylinder is articulated to the other, jaw, a long hydraulic ram of smalldiameter articulated to the hydraulic cylinder between the articulatedjaws, a plunger provided with a terminame to this specification in thepresence of Y two subscribing witnesses. V ARTHUR MARSHALL MCINTOSH.Witnesses: t

MANFIELD NEWTON, VINCENT NEWTON.

